Beauty in Tragedy
by N3GatorFan
Summary: Over the course of his long life, Henry has learned to find beauty in the most unlikely of places. On one particular day, he thinks about one instance and how it has and will change his life. Set 1 1/2 to 3 1/2 years after 1x22. One-shot.


_**Disclaimer**_ : The concept, canon, and canon characters belong to Forever creator Matt Miller and Warner Bros. Studios. All other characters, the plot for the story, and Henry's flashbacks are my own creation. I have posted my story here, and I don't profit from it. (Translation: I don't own Forever, but if I did, we will be seeing what Matt and the writers have planned for Christmas this year.)

 **Author's Note** : The rough draft for this story is one of several that has been sitting in a folder on my computer for most of the year. Yesterday (November 30, 2017), I had become inspired to finish this one.

For those reading "The Flight", I do plan to update it soon. When I was reading it, I realized that I had left a _**huge**_ plot hole in the story. Fortunately, I stopped right where I need to fix it. I had been writing another Forever fanfic for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), and I haven't gotten around to updating my other story.

I hope that you will enjoy reading this story.

* * *

"Next stop…66th Street, Lincoln Center."

The sound of the conductor's words roused Henry out of his memories. The sudden rise and movement of his fellow passengers cleared his fog and reminded him that he was still on the train. He rose from the usually uncomfortable plastic seat and joined the others in disembarking. When he reached the middle of the car, he faced the front window. For a moment, he half-expected to see a light growing brighter as he waited for a businesswoman to exit. Shaking his head, he moved toward the doors. Hopefully, that was an once-in-a-lifetime experience for him.

He stepped onto the platform and scanned the throngs of commuters streaming toward their destinations. He had asked Jo to come here under the pretext of wanting to show her something. His heart slightly sank when he couldn't find her in the crowd.

He took in his surroundings as the passengers' voices rose and fell around him like a symphony. Of late, it seemed like most of his life's major events had passed through stations as regularly as the trains themselves. He had partially revealed his immortality to Jo while defending the people inside Grand Central Station from Hans Koehler's attack. He had raced through Penn Station in a fatherly panic which had tipped Jo off to his true relationship to Abe. He and Lucas had discovered that she lived five blocks from the one in Washington Heights. By the time that she had left the Fort Hamilton Station's abandoned subway tunnel, she had begun to deduce the truth about him and had decided to ask him about it. Jo had stopped him in the one at Essex and Delancey and had told him that she didn't want him to leave New York to protect her from a vengeful Adam. And, after a standoff that had endangered both of their lives, they had declared their love for each other and shared their first kiss at the one near their workplace…much to the delight of their watchful colleagues.

Failing to find Jo in the crowd again, Henry pulled his pocket watch out and checked the time. Noticing how much of it had elapsed since he had arrived, he sighed. Perhaps her train was late in arriving at the station in Washington Heights or at a transfer station.

He gulped as one memory haunted the edges of his mind. He hoped that Adam hadn't intercepted her and had harmed her. Although she was certain that they would soon bring the other immortal to justice without the loss of more lives, Henry feared that Adam could excise his revenge on her before the NYPD had the opportunity to take him into custody. He wouldn't know what he would do if the psychopathic immortal would take Jo away from him as he had Abigail.

Henry shoved his hands in his pockets to hide his clenching fists. The object that he was carrying brushed up against his fingers and chased away his fears. He wouldn't let Adam ruin this moment. Today was something that he wanted to do for a while now, and nothing was going to stop him.

A sign on the pillar near the rebuilt platform caught Henry's attention. He eased through the crowd to see what it said. The moment that he noticed the bronze words against the brown background, he gingerly stepped up to read the tribute to the fifteen people who had lost their lives in the September 22, 2014 crash at the station.

He swallowed back his forming tears. _Make it sixteen_.

He remembered every detail of the crash perfectly. He almost didn't take the train that day. Three days earlier, he had spent his 235th birthday lost in his thoughts of adding yet another lonely, pain-filled year to his already long life and in his now-bittersweet memories of his and Abigail's lives together. That morning, he had determined to spend the day reviewing his journals to discover more clues about his condition and designing the next set of experiments to conduct on himself over the weekend. Abe had talked him into going to a museum or a walk in the park ...and then locked the door to the shop behind him once he was outside.

Contrary to Abe's personal belief, the art exhibition at NYU's gallery failed to clear Henry's mind, and he thought that a walk through Central Park would be just what the doctor ordered. The moment that he saw the Russian cellist enjoying her chocolate bar, he became smitten by her, and his darker ruminations fled into the deep recesses of his mind. He did not expect to arrange a date to her performance and drinks.

He had never planned to die that day…

…and he had never dreamed that the subsequent investigation into the crash would breathe life into him and wake him up to the world around him once again.

"Henry!"

He spun toward the feminine voice which had risen over the din to call his name. Jo hurried toward him. He stood entranced at the sight of her in her black coat and her red blouse. Her ravishing smile almost made him forget why her suit and her natural hairstyle were so familiar. They were the same clothes that she had worn when she had defiantly stepped out of his home like Hippolyta and dared him to circumvent her authority.

The lowered half of his lopsided smile tugged up to meet its mate. Like Theseus in _A Midsummer Night's Dream_ , he had surrendered himself to her. When they had first met, she had possessed a power over him that he couldn't explain at the time. Their encounter after Abe had brought him back from the river that night had left him surprisingly annoyed instead of in his usual panic whenever someone had discovered elements of his immortal life. The few hours in which she left him in the interrogation room while she retrieved his watch and the photos of his numerous handcuffs had robbed him of his usual excuses to explain what she had seen. The one excuse that he could formulate, to explain the handcuffs, sounded ridiculous even to him. Before he knew it, he was revealing more about himself to her than he had to anyone else other than Abigail and Abe. The first time that he admitted that she had an influence over him was when he indirectly confessed to Abe that his care for her was forcing him to reconsider his plan to kill Adam with the _pugio_. A short time later, he had found himself telling her the truth about himself and adjusting to the reality that she was a part of his life forever.

As she approached him, he reached his hand out to her. She took it, and he pulled her into his arms. He held her as though he had arrived home from a long journey that had taken him away from her for years.

"Hey!" Her warm breath tickled his face. "Why did you ask me to come here?"

He pulled back. She cocked her head. She already saw through his pretext.

She looked over his shoulder and released him. When she turned back at him, her wide eyes searched his. "This brings back memories, doesn't it?"

He gazed down at the tiles and nodded as he wrapped an arm around her and guided her toward a quieter part of the station. Silence wasn't one of his gifts, but his memories were drowning his words and thoughts in a sea of emotions.

He snuck a brief glance back at the scene of his death. Prior to that day, he had purposely cut himself off from the world, save for Abe, for fear of their betrayal or for fear that death would one day separate them for the rest of his life. He had convinced himself that it was the only way to prevent adding more pain to his already overwhelmed heart. Although he had longed to be in relationships with others, he couldn't allow himself to open up to anyone ever again.

Until Jo.

Surprisingly, in spite of his knowledge of her future, he had taken the chance to let someone into his life again. She had extended her compassion to him long before she had learned of his condition. Her curiosity had prompted him to divulge feelings and thoughts that he had kept to him or had shared with only his family. Once she had discovered the truth about him, she had refused to let him continue to live the lies which he had deemed necessary for his survival, and she had encouraged him to come clean to Lucas, Mike, Lt. Reece, and Fawn. In his times of trouble, she exhibited a wisdom far beyond her years. Over time, her love and loyalty had brought him back from the dead and had given him the will to live life to its fullest for her sake.

Taking a deep breath that he didn't know that he needed, he regarded her exquisitely-formed face. Everything about her had led him to fall deeper in love with her with each passing day. They had prompted him to ask her for her permission to court her, and they were leading him to this moment.

Her petite hand gently stroked his back. Its warmth coaxed his thoughts and words to the surface of his mind.

He smiled as they broke through. "In our lines of work and from our own experiences, we have seen what a tragedy can do to people. The lost lives, the regrets, desires of vengeance, broken trust, and crushed hopes all possess the ability to kill people without their knowledge. Yet…" His mind flitted between the present and his memories of their relationship. "Yet, some of the most beautiful things on Earth—even love—can spring up in tragedy's unlikely fertile soil."

Jo cocked her head like she always did when she suspected that his philosophical waxing masked his true thoughts. The patience and curiosity in her eyes signaled that she knew his point was coming.

 _Here goes_. He surveyed the area and observed the thin crowds. Pleased with the increased space, he withdrew his arm from her. He stepped in front of her and took her hands into his. Then, he lowered himself onto one knee.

He looked back up at her. She dared not to move or breathe. She appeared as though she sensed what was happening.

He sucked in some air to still his racing heart. "A wise woman once told me that life is about the journey, no matter how long it lasts. The first steps of ours were taken here, and it has been one that has brought us together in love. I don't know where our journey will take us, but I promise you that I will love you for all of the days of my life. Jo, will you marry me?"

He nervously swallowed as the thought of her saying no entered his mind. He wasn't prepared for that possibility.

"Yes!"

 _What did she just say?_

He studied her glowing expression. She beamed with joy at his question and her response.

His growing elation shoved his 18th-century upbringing and his usually restrained nature to the side and propelled him to his feet. The second he stood erect, he leaned forward and rested his lips on hers. The next thing that he knew, their kiss was communicating their shared joy of their future union as husband and wife.

The sounds of many voices cheering and hooting entered his awareness. He reluctantly pulled away from Jo and looked around. His cheeks warmed as he saw the crowd that had formed around them while he was proposing. A few people held out their smartphones to record the moment.

One voice shouted, "Where's the ring?!"

 _The ring?_ He could have kicked himself. In both his nervousness and his excitement, he had almost forgotten about the ring.

He reached into the pocket where he kept his watch and pulled out a white velvet box. He opened it and showed its contents to Jo. She gasped as he gently removed a cushion-cut diamond ring in a modern setting from its pillow and slipped it onto her finger. When she embraced him, the crowd resumed their cheers and shouted their congratulations.

While the voices faded, Henry and Jo reluctantly parted. He once again wrapped his arm around her. He had decided to ask her for her hand in marriage today as it was the first day off that they had in a few weeks. Since they had been courting, he wondered how they could freely revel in their new relationship without giving into the temptation of surrendering to their more passionate impulses before the wedding date.

He smiled. He hadn't had that problem in 200 years.

Jo's fingers grazing his waist pulled him out of his thoughts. "We have to tell Abe."

Henry chuckled as they leisurely walked through the station. "I believe that he would forgive me for interrupting his date this time."

She wrinkled her eyebrows for a moment before nodding. "He and Fawn are having breakfast together."

Henry nodded in confirmation. "We can call them after we board." He gazed into her eyes. "We should inform your mother of our engagement as well."

"We need to break the news to everyone at work too."

 _Of course!_ Lucas, Mike, and Lt. Reece had been encouraging their relationship since his and Jo's first date, and Lucas had coupled them since the investigation into Abigail's disappearance. "Do you want to go to work long enough to tell them the good news?"

While she entertained the idea, he glanced down at her ring. Although he personally detested the exchange of goods and money based on human interactions, it was one time that he must allow it. He knew of a number of betting pools in which payments hinged on his ability to find a wife, and there was nothing that he could do about them. The majority of them had been created within the OCME when he had isolated himself from everyone, and the newer ones had been set up shortly after the NYPD had learned of his unmarried status. Many of the bets would be settled the moment that he and Jo would break the news of their engagement.

She gazed into his eyes. "Why not? They will want to know how you proposed to me and will like to see the ring."

"Then, it's settled." He grinned. "After that, we would do whatever you want."

He tightened his embrace of her and peered at her as they headed toward the platform for trains bound for the Lower East Side. He still couldn't believe that fate had guided Jo into his path. To everyone else—including, on his worst days, him—fate should have allowed her to go elsewhere. Yet, he was honored to have the privilege of loving her and caring for her for the rest of her life.

They boarded the arriving train and took their seats. She pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of her ring. He shook his head in amazement. It was incredible that a photo could be transmitted through the air and arrive on another phone or a computer within seconds.

Jo tapped her screen a few times and positioned the phone between them. A second later, Henry heard a pair of rings and then a click. In the background, Abe and Fawn teased each other about their cooking skills.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

Henry opened his mouth, only to find that his words had escaped him again. He cleared his throat and willed them to come back.

He glanced over at Jo and found his voice. "Nothing." He smiled as the glimmer of the diamond in Jo's ring bounced into his eyes. "Jo and I are engaged."

"What?!" Fawn's voice joined Abe's. "That's great! Congratulations!"

Jo tapped her phone a few more times as Abe joyfully replied, "It's about time!"

Henry thought back to the moment that Jo had accepted his proposal. "Someone might post the moment on YouTube." He hoped that he got the word right. He still was not familiar or comfortable with the technological world that Jo had inhabited since birth.

"Are you going to find Liz Chamberlin and talk to her about it?" The concern in Abe's voice echoed between them.

Henry rolled his tongue in his mouth. It was a tempting idea. Sure, he was worried that someone who would be interested in unlocking the secrets of his body would see his image and find him. He, however, was now more concerned about a vengeful relative or someone connected to one of Jo's or Sean's cases finding Jo and threatening her as Detective Hugh Dunn had years ago. The only thing that was stopping him from acting on the suggestion was Liz's stated desire to resume her former life before her work as a member of The Faceless, and she might not want to return to computer hacking to return a favor.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." He shook his head as a grin spread across his face. Back then, he would not have considered saying that. Then, he would have been halfway around the world before the day had ended. Now, he felt more at home in New York than he had at any point in his past.

"So." Fawn came back on. "Do you have an idea of the date?"

Henry and Jo looked at each other. The way that he was feeling right now, he would marry her this afternoon, with Abe, Fawn, Lucas, Mike, Lt. Reece, and Mrs. Martinez as their witnesses.

Jo wagged her finger at the phone. "I'm not getting married in June. I don't want to fight twenty other women for a dress."

Henry's eyes roamed down and then back up her. He could wait a few months. Using every article of clothing that he had seen her in, he pieced together several ideas of what her wedding dress would look like.

The date should be significant to them. "How about some time during the first two weeks of May?" Those weeks contained the day that he had let her into his life forever and the anniversary of their first date.

Jo mulled it over. "Yeah. That would be perfect."

He smiled. It would give him time to arrange a second trip to Paris for their honeymoon. The first time that they had been, the police conference that they were attending had left them with hardly any time to get lost in the city. In the meantime, she could plan the wedding that she deserved.

He looked back at the phone. "Abe, I want you to be my best man. I can't imagine not having you by my side for this."

"I'll be honored, Pops."

Henry reveled in his and Abe's ability to subtly acknowledge their father-son relationship in public again. About a year ago, Abe had used it in public, and someone had asked them why Abe would call the immortal that. Both father and son had a difficult time developing an excuse. Jo had conducted some research and had learned that "Pops" was a popular nickname as well as an alternate for "father". She had suggested that they should continue to use the nickname. If someone overheard them and became suspicious, they could always brush it off as Abe giving him the name since Henry acted older than he appeared.

Henry casually glanced around the car. Everyone else was engrossed in their readings and in their activities on their phones. He smiled. It seemed as though they had some much needed privacy.

A few moments later, they made a similar call to a very elated Mrs. Martinez and switched trains to travel to their place of work. As Jo settled in her seat, she leaned against Henry, prompting him to hug her tighter. The light tickle of her loose hair on his cheeks and the fragrance of her shampoo simultaneously plunged him into a deep sense of relaxation and aroused his desire to kiss her again. He compromised by enjoying her hand over his scar and dreaming about the next stop in their journey through life together.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** In Greek mythology, Hippolyta is the queen of the Amazons. Although she is known for being Diana's (Wonder Woman's) mother in the comics, on TV, and in the movies, Hippolyta also appears in _A Midsummer Night's Dream_ as Theseus' wife.


End file.
